Are You Red and Gold, Saphire?
by Baki-chan
Summary: COMPLETE. SasuNaru. Someone wants Naruto gone. They want him to leave, or die. And they will do anything to make that happen. Anything.
1. find me!

Are You Red and Gold Sapphire?

Ano. Hello, everyone! *hides* Okay, I'm sorry I haven't updated Bitter! But check back with me later on news on its discontinuation-whoops *is hidden* d-don't hurt me! *stands up, grins* Muwahahah! I have Aya!(from Weiss Kreuz) He ate Youji, and he's still hungry! No flames or I'll sic him on you!

EE~ My first Naruto ficcie! Yaaaay! BTW, I have officially seen up to 54 episodes and 50+ chapters of the manga plus snippets of 186 and others. This doesn't take place after the chuunin exam tho, it takes place before, after Haku-arc, but not sure other than that. Randomly placed fic^^. Oh…! Gomen gomen. ^^;; I promise this'll be the only chapter I rant like this is unless necessary.

SUMMARY: After a mission late at night, Naruto comes home to find it has been trashed, all his possesions destroyed and a note of threat on the wall… Whe he ignores it and the threats become more physical and outrageous… he has no choice but to leave or risk not only himself, but his friends as well!

Pairing: Sasuke x Naruto- no other way! No Naruto x Sasuke, Only Sasuke x Naruto! Oh, and there's possibility of some mention of ZabuHaku pairing~! That was so sad and so beautiful.

Rating: PG-13 for now ~_^

Warnings: Naruto gets beaten a good bit.  Maybe worse later... Hmm... Vandalism... Bad Japanese(tatebayo!).  Child abuse(Duh!  If you beat a child, yours or not, it's child abuse *nods*) Oh, and I'm NOT warning you about the yaoi! I'm NOT! I will not warn you as if it is something to watch out for like a spider bite or a booby-trap! Deal with it, love it, worship it.

Enjoy!

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Naruto sighed and leaned heavily against the red guard rail of the bridge that Sasuke, Sakura, and himself were on, waiting for their sensei—as was normal—to show up two,  three hours late. Maybe more if a cat was in a tree or an old lady needed help crossing the street.

It didn't really bother him though, not as it did Sakura. He went along with her yelling mostly because he wanted her to notice him. It never really worked that way. Fox smile in place, eyes firmly shut and mouth stretched wide, the young shinobi just let himself take in the slight breeze and the warm, late afternoon light. Kakashi-sensei had told them to meet him at the bridge around five PM, they were going to do some night training, hone their night-sight using chakra. It was exciting! Of course, you couldn't tell, with Naruto just leaning there, his hands behind his head an his usual fox smile* on his face, not bouncing around as normal. Neither Sakura nor Sasuke took significant notice of this though. They were actually glad for the level of quiet they were graced with that day. So they didn't question it, lest it go away and the blistering noise come back.

Three sets of eyes looked up to acknowledge their late, late, laaaaaaaaaaaate sensei.

YOU'RE LATE!!" Came the traditional yell by Sakura and Naruto.

"There was this old man who needed help cleaning up his shop after some kids grabbed his coupons!"

"DON'T LIE!" 

Sasuke sighed, their sensei was running out of excuses quickly. Kakashi smiled under his mask, and waved off their loud shouting.

"We're going to do some night training! Off to the forest!"

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

The three genins had be told to scatter, hide in trees amongst their branches, behind luscious bushes, behind large rocks, anywhere they thought they could hide and not immediately sense another's chakra. Kakashi-sensei had explained that they were to practice finding hidden objects in the dark, and then to find another teammate, while concealing your own chakra and hand it to them in a kind of trade till all the objects had been found, and traded to the last person who was supposed to have them, and taking them to Kakashi.

Basically, it was finding what objects were supposed to go to who, finding that person, and giving them to them to take to Kakashi.

Since there was still a little light out, Kakashi delayed them with detailed explanations of what object each was supposed to get. There was a total of five objects per person. He also stressed that it didn't matter what item you picked up. If you found one that wasn't meant for you, you would just have to get it to the correct person.

Sakura's items were: a white comb, a manila folder, a green button, a single red sock, and a hard back book.

Sasuke's items were: a piano key (white), a piano key (black), an action figure, a scarf, and a knife.

Naruto's items tweaked his inner strings, and he was sure the others felt similar little pangs—particularly Sasuke, judging by the soft blanching of his skin at the mention of piano keys, and the knife—though he didn't know why.

Naruto's items were: a fox-shaped card-board cut out, a small bushel of strings tied together(orange he was sure), cat ears(fake!), a glove, and cup of uncooked Ramen.

After the list was given, the sun dipped its chin behind the mountain; covered and split were its last light by the many trees around them, their branches reaching up as if into the sun to gather any last energy they could.

"Ano sa, ano sa, why are we supposed to mask our chakra?" Naruto asked, his eyes closed and a soft not-smile not-frown on his face.

"The point is because, on missions, you may get separated and unable to find a teammate's chakra. The point is to find them while holding objects that you may have to give them without using your own chakra. If you were on a mission, and you had to give Sasuke the object of request, you wouldn't want your enemies sensing you, so you would mask your chakra—as would Sasuke. It's basic tracking and retrieving skills." Naruto nodded in understanding, and Sasuke looked away from where he'd brought his gaze up to show he was listening.

"Yoshi, off you go!" 

The three genins[1] nodded quickly before quickly vanishing from sight.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

So, that's where they were now. In trees, bushes, behind rocks—anywhere hidden, their chakra smothered under their will and their eye sight all but there. Blind as a rock, and in an immeasurably large forest. The odds of finding objects hidden everywhere—even underground!—were very slim, and it promised to be an all night activity.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Even in the dark, Sasuke found he was having very few difficulties. The trees all gave off a familiar signature as did the rocks, dirt, grass, bushes, other flowers, plants and even animals. Not even thinking that he might need his sharingan, or any chakra, the boy listlessly found and picked up objects with unfamiliar signatures—or ones he recognized in his fingers as the sought after objects. He had no chance to feel their signatures before.

Silently, Sasuke hooked his legs over the low rising tree branch he'd been sitting on, and let himself fall backwards, his legs keeping him from sliding off and his long fingers delicately skimming the tips of the blades of grass. He tangled them experimentally, allowing his grip to slip just enough for him to slide closer to the ground.

Curling his fingers, he brought his body up in one fluid motion, sitting effortlessly and without worry on the medium sized branch. Though he could not see it, he could feel the soft, fine thick strings tied together by another, thicker piece of yarn. That was the third item he had found of Naruto's.  It was irking him a little, not enough to really effect him, but everything he had found related in some way to Naruto's personality—and that they were all the objects designated to him.

When he found that orange goof-ball, he was gonna chuck—not pass—chuck the objects at him… As hard as he could!

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

From his place behind a large stone, Naruto sneezed. "Mou, I hope no one heard that~!" he mentally whined.

Looking at the things in his hands, he wondered how he ended up finding all of Sasuke's items.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

END CHAPTER ONE! 

[1] this is also rather AT… I didn't place it anywhere particular. So I'm saying they're still genins. After that it takes a weird twist.

 OH… and FF.NET's being screwy~ and every priview I do has NO paragraph indents it's not my faaaaaaaauuullt~ I even saved this in HTML~~NOT MY FAULT! I'll sick my Lob-chan beta on you if you complain about that!3

Review Onegai!


	2. the colapse

Are You Red and Gold Sapphire?  
  
Yay! Chapter two!  
  
Notes: Wow. O.O I've never gotten so many reviews for one chapter before!*bounce*  
REPLIES: TheSeer: Thank you for the help and the kind words^^ lets see if it works, ne?  
  
Iceheart19: Oo~ I'd go see it, but the site doesn't work for me *cries*  
Naruke: I'm looking for a make your own crossword for you, I hope I find one by next chapter^^. (Though if you make your own, wont you already know the answers?)  
new dragon18: O.O!!! EEPS! I update! Here here! No sue me onegaaaaai~ if you take everything I can't write this anymores and I'll cryT_T  
  
Foxgrl: Yup, Naruto uke all the way! They both'll be together, but Naruto will never be on top in the way Sasuke'll be3 hehe  
For everyone else (and those mentioned), POCKEY! *showers you with pockey* please review this one too. THANK YOU^^  
WILL UPDATE ABOUT EVERY SATURDAY. (that's about when my beta-chan finishes^^^^) Rating PG, for I don't know. it being Naruto.  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
The false dawn had just begun, the moons light changed the sky to an aqua-marine-blue that drowned out the stars till the sky mixed with the darkness of the nothing.  
  
Sakura yawned behind her hand. She had found all her items and was ready to come back, also she wondered if she would get in trouble for not finding any of Sasuke or Naruto's items, and thus not being able to do the trade part. Shrugging to herself, Sakura made her way as silently as she could, feet barely touching the passing branches, to the meeting spot.  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
Sasuke was leaning against a large boulder when Sakura arrived. He seemed to be concentrating on something in his hands and didn't notice her, that, or he didn't give any signs that he did notice. Sakura blushed slightly upon seeing him, and turned her gaze away. Kakashi, she noted, was leaning against a tree nonchalantly and reading Icha Icha Paradise. For a moment she entertained that question of how he could read it in such darkness. But then again, he could do a lot of things, so it wouldn't really be surprising if he could.  
  
Looking around in the sparse light, Sakura noticed Naruto wasn't there yet. Waving this little unimportant fact off, the pink haired girl approached a tree whose large roots were rather close to where Sasuke was sitting. She sat down, smoothed her clothes, and put on a smile, hoping that the boy would see her smiling, and fall for her [1]-even if she wasn't looking directly at him.  
  
Sasuke barely noticed the girl placing herself, his thoughts were completely on the small cut out he was holding, almost delicately, in his fingers. It was the first item he'd found out in the forest, under a root in a ten-inch deep hole's false bottom [2]. It wasn't made by a human-that hole. It looked like a rabbit hole-maybe a snake or fox's.  
Sasuke traced the jaggedly cut edges with his finger. The thing had been lying on the bottom and was almost impossible to see-even more so to find. He'd thought himself in one of his weaker moments, lucky not to have been bitten by the burrow's owner. The shape was of a fox with one of its front paws raised, and its head facing you if you held it right. He could barely make out the faint outline of it, but it was enough-he could feel it.  
  
And he couldn't understand why that seemed to be important.  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
(Smells like a chapter end line~ but NOPE-not over!)  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
'Shimatta!' The fifth curse to come to Naruto's mind reminded him yet again, that; he was lost, going to be late-if not already so. False dawn was already beginning to disappear. True dawn would come in a few hours [3], and that was latest that he was allowed to return. Kakashi-sensei hadn't said it, but that was the implied time limit just by his gestures alone. He was sure it would've helped if he knew whether he was going further into the forest, or towards the outside.  
  
Eyes shut as per usual, Naruto was tempted to reach out with his chakra to find one of his teammates, but bit the urge down. The purpose of the training was to find each other and certain objects without the aid of your chakra, and he didn't want to fail. Either way, it looked like it was going to be a long morning.  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
For the third time in probably no more than ten or fifteen minutes, Kakashi checked his watch.  
  
"Yoshi, turn in your findings now. Naruto will be here in a minute." He said, glancing at the forest, expectant. Sasuke stood without question, the gathered objects held in his left hand, his right still delicately holding the fox cut out around the edges. Sakura was already standing, and walked a bit close behind Sasuke, the things in her hands held close to her chest. Kakashi didn't move as they approached. When Sasuke was about two feet in front of him, he held his hand out.  
  
"MATTETATEBAYO [4]~~!" Sasuke and Sakura turned around unconcerned, and Kakashi just raised his one visible eye.  
  
"Yatta! I'm out! Heh heh!" Naruto wiped his forehead with his arm and smiled his shut-eyed grin. The gleeful boy trotted over to the other three, trying to look like he wasn't twenty or so minutes late. His pockets were bulging, Sasuke noticed, which meant that Naruto had in fact, found all of the items he was going to. Sasuke rolled his eyes when Naruto began talking to Sakura loudly, trying to impress her. She wasn't.  
  
"Sasuke? Did you get all your items from Sakura or Naruto."  
  
"Iie." An eyebrow raised.  
  
"Ehh..? Why not?"  
  
". Sensei?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Was I supposed to find all of Naruto's items?"  
  
Kakashi blinked his visible eye.  
  
"Nani?" Naruto looked over, as did Sakura, having heard Sasuke's strong words uttered softly.  
  
"Ah! Sou dayo!" Naruto, still grinning, came to stand next to Sasuke and in front of Kakashi. He dug his hands into his pocket, the tip of his tongue sticking out at the side of his mouth on his scrunched up face. Said face relaxed into a wide smile when he pulled several large and small things out of his pocket. He held them out towards Kakashi. Sasuke mimicked him and held his items out.  
  
That one eye widened a bit at the sight, for, Naruto was indeed holding all of the items assigned to Sasuke and Sasuke was holding all of the items assigned to Naruto. He glanced up at Sakura who had a startled expression on her face. Glancing back down, he noticed that there was one thing missing from Sasuke's small pile-the cardboard cut out fox.  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
Naruto sighed, his body just recognizing that it was tired. Apparently the training took a lot more out of him than he thought it would. There was a lot of emotional upheaval and strain to control and hide his chakra for so long. Plus it was the beginning to the end of the night that he was out. All he wanted was to collapse in his old bed in nice, warm, comfortable pajamas.  
Vaguely, his sleep-blurred eyes recognized the silhouette of his rival, Sasuke, as he jumped in front of the large waxing moon before it dipped into the earth. Barely acknowledging it further, the blond continued to trudge home, outlined by the moon and glowing with his own light.  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
"Na..NANDETATEBAYO!?"  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
END chapter 2~  
  
[1] = I know a lot of anime girls and real girls that think that way. it bugs me.  
  
[2] = it's like a floor, only from it there's another path leading sideways underground then down.  
  
[3] = I have no idea when false dawn is, or when the true dawn itself happens after it.  
  
[4] = Ahh.. "Tatebayo" I don't know it might also/be spelled "datebayo". And also, I'm not Japanese sadly, I don't have perfect placement, nor do I actually know what it means.forgive me for tryin' to be cool.  
  
WELL! How do you like it? Any suggestions, comments? Please leave me a review! 


	3. Konoha

Are You Red and Gold, Sapphire?  
  
OK! Don't hurt me! My beta-chan was in KentuckyU.U and I didn't know. But it's here now! And longer! See! See!  
  
Thank you all so much for your encouraging and informative reviews-the paragraph trick works!^o^- I hope this chapter lives up to a few expectations~  
  
Chapter warnings: damage reports, a threat, and Sasuke OOC a little (he just isn't calling Naruto and idiot, or dobe as much. You'll see the situation)  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
"Na..... NANI!?!?![1]"  
  
Previously closed ocean blue eyes were open and wide with shock and horror. He couldn't believe it-he didn't want to believe it! That door, smashed in with pink-tan strike marks and holes in it, hanging by its top hinge at a severe angle, was NOT his! It couldn't be! Ignoring the fact that his name was carved messily into the front with in his own handwriting. Ignoring the room number being the one he came to every evening and left every morning or afternoon.  
  
Naruto took a step closer, almost stumbling. He could see beyond the door into the dark room, shapes out of place and his possessions askew from their proper places. Hesitantly, as one would approach something toxic or feral, Naruto took a step towards his hime, and reached out a hand.  
  
There was no sound to describe the falling and crashing of his heart that matched the sound of his once perfect door coming completely off its last hinge- its last hold and support up-and hitting the ground with a loud bang.  
  
There was nothing.  
  
Pure silence greeted him, broken only in his own ears by the beating of his heart and the echo of his doors landing.  
  
It seemed like minutes passed before Naruto could bring himself to move. Slowly, as if each step was laden with lead, he came before his fallen door, and with all his strength-physical and mental-stepped over it into his home.  
  
Even in the dark, just being touched by the last fingers of moonlight and the first glow of the sun on the other side as she rose (as if to latch onto the moons hands and never let go), he could see the shapes or his table, his lamps-cheap as they were- pillows, feathers, books, chairs, pencils, pens, small but long cup shapes-probably his Ramen-Naruto thought sullenly. Everything he owned was torn and destroyed, squished, stepped on, cut... Even his scrolls-homeworks, white, and lessons-everything were dark black shapes against the dirty floor. Shaking, Naruto raised his hand and, fingers almost missing, flipped on the light.  
  
He wished he hadn't.  
  
For, there, on the wall facing him glaring in bright, red letters larger than his head each was:  
  
"Leave Konoha, Kyuubi, before we kill you."  
  
Naruto had never considered himself weak of heart or body, but with the strain of the nights training, and now this emotional attack to the one sanctuary he had from the world, the blond boy's sight became black, and he knew no more.  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
Sakura was worried. The sun had risen long ago, and the Number One loudest ninja hadn't shown up. Naruto was never this late! Sure, he'd been an hour, a few minutes, an hour and a half late, but he'd never been later than their sensei! Kakashi had consented to waiting a few minutes for the boy, from he perch on the arch of the bridge.  
  
Minutes passed, they all were watching the path to the bridge, the one Naruto comes up every morning. Even Sasuke was watching for the boy from the corner of his eye. Surely, if they watched hard enough, they could almost picture the baka, running up the path, waving his arm. His eyes would be closed and a wide grin would be on his face as he loudly apologized for being late.  
  
But he wasn't. There was no hyper-active ninja boy hiding his pain behind a smile. There was no shout of, "Sorry I'm late!" Finally, the first of them snapped.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei! Something must be wrong! Naruto is never this late!" Sakura cried, worry in her voice along with annoyance. Sasuke turned his eyes to Kakashi, to see what he would do. The cold boys arms were crossed, his leaning stance one of disinterest and apathy for the situation.  
  
"..Hmm. Perhaps we should go see what's keeping him." That was all the "Go!" they needed, Sakura was off down the street almost before he finished his sentence. Sasuke unfolded his arms and regarded their teacher for another moment, before he, himself, turned and headed in a slightly quick in the direction of Naruto's home.  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
It was silent. None of them knew what to say. The room was in ruins. The door, as they saw, was in two large pieces in the entranceway; the hinges twisted metal in grotesque mockery or their once simple and useful forms. Sakura's eyes were wide, and Sasuke couldn't help but stare at the destruction around him. The place was trashed! Broken mirrors, smashed Ramen cups as if they'd been stepped on, knocked over chairs and pillows with their stuffing ripped out. Gashes on the walls and big, bold letters were the background they found their smallest teammate in. For there they saw Naruto, curled in a ball, knees to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. His eyes stared blankly ahead and down at the floor, and he was rocking gently. Around him there was a small amount of clean area.  
  
The three got the impression it was much worse before they came.  
  
"N..Naruto?" the girl asked softly approaching the shorter boy. She was firmly ignoring the tears that slipped down his whiskered cheeks now and then, nor did she acknowledge the big red words behind him on his wall till she must.  
  
Ocean blue eyes met hers slowly, and he seemed to just notice her being in his house.  
  
"Oh.. Sakura-chan.. It's dirty.." Instinctively Sakura took a step back from the softly speaking boy. "I tried to clean it." He continued, slowly uncurling till he was kneeling. "But every time I tried I started crying."[2]  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
**Sasuke POV**  
  
I could feel myself flinch, and I could feel the others do so as well. I wanted to turn away, I wanted to leave. This was not our Naruto! Not-"I'm gonna be Hokage!"- Uzumaki Naruto! Not the one who would make everyone acknowledge who he was. I couldn't look at him, so I focused my gaze around me. Words were crudely carved into his walls-perhaps with a kunai. It could also have been a wide point knife. I could barely read them.. one said.. the sign was for "shine" or, "die". Another was roughly "go to hell!", and "Leave!" and other such comments. Inevitably my eyes fell on the words behind Naruto. His body was blocking part of it, so I stepped closer, mindful of the glass shards tinted red.  
  
Naruto flinched as I came closer, and he seemed to be holding his breath when I looked behind him, reading the large simple words:  
  
"Leave Konoha, Kyuubi, before we kill you".  
  
Leave Konoha.. Kyuubi?' I throw a glance at Kakashi. I want to know what that means. I open my mouth to ask, but..  
  
"Ne... Sensei.. do we have a mission today?" the boy said slowly. Kakashi looked thoughtful for a moment, face tilted up, but I saw his eyes drift to the message again.  
  
"Hmmm.. aa." Was the confirmation. Slowly, almost jerkily, the idiot brought himself to his feet. His legs were spread a little wider than normal, head slightly down. There were blood stains on his knees and fingerprints on the vibrant orange jumpsuit. I remember suddenly the red- stained glass.  
  
He must have cut himself on it.  
  
"Oi, dobe." I say, hoping to egg him back to being the Naruto we all know. His eyes close for a long second, before he opens them and they set on me. The bags under his eyes! They're darker than the night that passed! He looks like he's been awake all night. Oh wait, he has. We had enough time though to sleep. We all got home somewhere around five to seven AM[3]. And we weren't to meet till noon. He must've been trying to clean this all up.  
  
I can't continue what I was gonna say-in fact, I forgot it. Besides, Kakashi said something I'm sure was very different from what I was gonna say.  
  
"Mm.. today's missions.. will be to help you clean this place up." I watch the idiot for his reaction. For a moment it looks like he doesn't care or is unhappy with the decision. I can Sakura glaring-waiting to smack him for being rude-but she's cut off by the smile that forms on the baka's face.  
  
His eyes are brighter, his face almost glowing and with some emotion.. I cannot name.. I see him itch to jump at our sensei like he's done to Iruka before.  
  
I look away, 'baka.'  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
Clean up went relatively well. Naruto fainted about two hours in, and Kakashi reassured us that it was just stress and lack of sleep. Stress indeed-the idiot needs a new door-in fact, he needs a new everything.  
  
We were assigned areas after the initial panic over Naruto's sudden falling in the middle of sweeping some glass and wood chips. Wait-I didn't panic! I didn't! You cannot count raising an eyebrow and walking over quickly to poke at him with my shoe as panicking. You just can't. So there.  
  
...No.... I'm not sticking my tongue out at you-what, am I? Five?  
  
Shaking my head a bit I start moving my work (I have to clean up all the feathers and straighten the chairs at the moment) closer to sensei. If he noticed until I was almost next to him (which I'm sure he did) he didn't make any move of it.  
  
I guess he realized I would act when I was ready. And I'm ready, I am. I want to know, what the hell did they mean by Kyuubi[4]? I want to know, I *will* know. I remain silent, working next to him. I allow myself to grumble a bit at the fact that we have to clean up for the dobe, but it can't be helped-it's a mission.  
  
He's waiting. I can tell. Kakashi-sensei knows I want to ask/say something, and he's waiting for me to. Resolved already to do this, I turn to face the man fully, and he raises and eyebrow in question. I wouldn't call this a now or never situation, I don't think that way. Narrowing my eyes, I turn slightly, still facing him, and extend my arm, pointing my finger directly at the bold red words.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei, what do they mean by Kyuubi?" There, I asked. He better answer me straight. He looks at me for a moment, no real expression on his mostly covered face. In fact, if anything, he's smiling. And it's not a smirk, or a full fledged grin. It's not much of anything but a quirk of the lips and a slight scrunching of the eyes.  
  
"Hou.. Don't you know of the Kyuubi?" Did he think I was an idiot? What child, adult-what person in this village (and probably many others) hasn't heard the story of the horrifying Nine-Tailed fox demon and its defeat by our beloved Hokage the Fourth? I give him my best bored and annoyed look and he smiles a little wider.  
  
"Naruto will have to tell you that himself." Was his simple ending and I turned away, knowing there was no more. Sakura apparently got that message too, and went back to work from her poorly hidden attempt to eve's drop without us noticing.  
  
I bend down, and shovel a large pile of soft and fluffy white feathers into a bag with my hand, the other being used to keep it open.  
  
'Naruto.. will have to tell me that himself.. is what he said. And Naruto, WILL tell me.'  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
  
WAI! I finished another one! ^o^~~ I never realised how much longer it was than the other b/c it was pre-written b4 I posted chapter 1~  
  
[1]-ok, it wasn't that in the last chapter, but because, though the explanation was rather detailed, I'm stilla little confused, so I wont be using any special endings or anything till I really get it. Sorry.  
  
[2] = Yeah, Naruto's not a crybaby, but wouldn't you cry if your home was trashed like that and there was such an ultimatum on your wall? Besides, he IS 12 years old.  
  
[3] = I assume they live in different places and so get home at different times.  
  
[4] = Nine-Tails Demons fox. ya know, that thing. The demon poor Naruto is host too. I don't think Sasuke knows about it, I really don't. Makes for fun writing/reading situations to see how authors interpret it tho!^-^  
  
Review please~~! 


	4. i can't deal

                                                Are You Red and Gold, Sapphire?

            Chapter four~~~  
 

 Notes: wOw…. So many reviews to reply tooo~~~ and the italics I used last chapter didn't work;-;. The things written on the wall were supposed to be in italics. I feel the mood had been ruined a bit. And I heavily apologize for the grammar and spelling mistakes. My beta had just gotten back, and I wanted to post a late chapter so I didn't look over it.

THIS CHAPTER is six pages. The replies are not part of the fic and I would not have made the chapter longer anyways. So it is at its desired length. Because I find that the chapters that are the shortest are the ones with the review replies. And if feels as if the author wrote in the reviews to make it seem longer even though it isn't. Sux huh? I am including replies, but even if I hadn't, the chap. would be 6 pages. 

Chapter warning: Angst~! Relatively! 

Replies: 

WuffieLuver: Well.. I don't really think Sasuke's a prick~~ more like a confused 12 year old boy whose been badly hurt~  And right, they wouldn't^-^;. Here's your more! 

MeGs-YAFP: *gasp* review this one too please! Please! And thank you~~ you've made me habby!^o^

new dragon18: ooo~ ur- it WILL happen! I have to build it up a bit, but soon, soon, REALLY soon, it's gonna begin, muwhahaha!

Chibi0Dragon: I know~ Poor Naru-chan! An dit gets worse~ I'M SORRY I MADE U WAIT;-;. Here' is your more~ take it please and review~~

JadeTiger: You''ll just have to keep reading~_^ I do some things for build and suspence, but you'll see~ and Maybe Naruto will cry~ You'll have to read and see~

dark vampire**: ooo~3 I was kisseid 2wice!OO! arigato gozaimasu! I hope you continue to like my story!**

Anime Freak/Kichigai Ojousan: I knowU-U. Thank you~ Yay~ More intresting means more fun right? Please review~

Eikou: …is that a compliment or a complaint? I can't tell;-;

firedraygon97: Slight inkling prolly~ But I don't think he'd assume it was the kyubi inside Naruto… I dunno~ Thank you much for your compliments! Please enjoy this chapter!

oruchuban Ebichu: *glomps back* I'm so glad you like it Kami-chan^^! Hehehe~ Arigato! Soon! Everyone will start getting answers soon~~

Review please!  
  
            

Chapter warnings: some Naruto OOC. 

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

            Naruto felt his eyes opening to the warm sunlight bathing him in its rich glow. For a moment, he smiled; he knew nothing but the warm (Lumpy?) shelter of his bed and covers. The lumpiness and general *broken* feeling to it worried him slightly. 'Perhaps I should stop jumping on it…' he thought, turning over. Hugging the soft pillow (not as soft as it used to be. Is some stuffing missing?), the fact that he should be meeting with his team, and that something was seriously wrong was just out of his conscious thinking range. 

            'No, it was a bad dream—see? I was asleep! I'm in my bed! That means it didn't happen and I just dreamed it! …It does!' the twelve-year-old didn't want to contemplate that he was arguing with a silent voice inside his head. One that just screamed "issues!". And he didn't want to get up—he hurt. His knees and fingers stung and were sore as if had been… picking up…glass… Blue eyes deep as the ocean shut tight, refusing to open. 'It didn't happen! It's just impression from my dream! I wasn't picking up glass!' 

 +_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

            Kakashi looked up from the last part of the last he had assigned himself. From the shift in chakra he could tell Naruto had woken up. But there were threads of pain and sadness expressed in the boy's aura too. The gray haired teacher wondered if it would be a good idea to lave the boy alone after they finished. 

            Turning his attentions back to the bits of uncooked Ramen, spilled milk, vegetables and breads, Kakashi allowed his thoughts to drift. 

            On the other side of the room, Sakura wasn't faring much better in her wandering thoughts. One side of her seemed to think it was all Naruto's fault that his place was destroyed and that HE got out of it when SHE had to get dirty cleaning HIS mess! 

But the other side argued that it wasn't Naruto's fault. People just seemed to not like him—didn't it make sense that, if they were going to attack him, why not attack his home? She had to remind herself Naruto was in pain, that he wasn't faking. His home had been destroyed. Wouldn't she feel the same if her home had been vandalized? 

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

            Around noon Kakashi stopped the two workers and told them to go home for lunch and to come back afterwards. He conveniently left out that he wanted to talk to Naruto alone. Sasuke left, but his eyes were narrowed with suspicion. Kakashi turned, when they were out of sight, and went into Naruto's room. Thankfully, that door had been left relatively intact.  The interior of the small bedroom wasn't much better than the outer room. The window was smashed, glass littering the floor, scrolls were torn to shreds and lie like confetti on the dirt and blood stained floor. The glass was tinted red. Sheets had been shredded, as were any spare clothes the boy had owned. The bed they had laid Naruto on had stab punctures and was obviously broken like it had been hit with giant mallets. The one salvageable sheet was wrapped tightly around the figure on the lumpy bed. He was clutching the white sheet tightly in his small fists, and shivering. 

            Kakashi's stare did not waver; even as he sat down next to Naruto and realized he was crying. 

            There was silence for a few moments in which Naruto desperately wished his sensei would leave. And the said sensei was contemplating what to say.

            "Hmm… do you know who did it?" No reply. 

            "Do you know why they did it?" no reply—though one eye opened to give him a blank look. 

            "What are you going to do?" There was a small movement under the sheets. 

            "You're not going to leave are you?" The blond shook his head. 

            "Of course not!" he cried, sitting up quickly. His eyes were closed and he was half pouting/half scowling. The taller male his face a smile. 

            "That's what I thought." Naruto's pout/scowl face melted into a full pout because he realized he had been tricked. For a moment he just stared at Kakashi through closed eyes. 

            "EH, what is it!? I was sleeping!" Lie one.

            "You were?" 

            "Yes!" Lie two.

            "Oh well." It didn't matter to him. 

            "I… guess I have to finish cleaning first… then I'll figure out how to get some food." Naruto said at length, face turned towards had been scrolls. 

            "Aren't you going to go to Hokage-sama?" 

            "He already knows about this." Came the whispered response.

            "He does?"  An eyebrow raised. Naruto nodded.

            "He knows everything that happens around me. I'm always being watched by him." 

            "Ah… I see. Do you think he knows(who did it)?" Naruto shrugged, "How am I supposed to know?" a closed eyes glare.  
            

            "You're not. Hup!" The jounin stood fluidly and scratched the back of his head before dropping his arm. "How about some lunch?"   
            

            "There's food left? Is it my ramen? Miso? Pork? Beef~?" the blond asked now sitting Indian style with his hands tucked in his lap and his face torn by a wide vulpine smile, eyes closed. 

             "Eh, hm… I don't think any food survived. But I'll take you to Ichiraku for lunch." 

            "Honto!?"   
            

            "Hai. But I'm not paying."

            "Urk…"

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

            **Sasuke POV**

            I saw Kakashi sensei leading Naurto out of the entrance to the large building of rooms and flats, they went a direction I don't usually go—towards the small cluster of food stands and clothes shops [1]. It's a distraction, and an obvious one. The anger and anguish was rolling off the boy in waves, and what better way to distract Naruto but to feed him or throw a mission in his face? 

            My face was schooled as normal—nothing showed. But I feel a bit irritated. Sensei told us to come back and work when he's just taking the dobe out to eat. I didn't feel like going back to Naruto's home by myself, and it would be no use going back home because I didn't know how long the two would be gone. 

            So I followed them. 

            I reasoned it that I might learn something about this whole mess by listening to Kakashi talk to the baka about the incident. There was no other reason, the concern you think I might be feeling is all in your head—it really is. In my head… no! I'm just curious! I want to know about the whole "Kyuubi" subject. I want to know why. Why destroy his house? Why threaten him? Why Naruto? He's one of the least threatening people I've ever met, so why would someone(s?) want him to leave under pain of death? So many questions I have unresolved, unanswered. 

            I am pretty sure Kakashi realized I was behind them pretty much as soon as I began heading after them. He never looked behind him, never curved the conversation to less revealing topics (not that I learned anything except that miso ramen was the flavor Naruto ate practically everyday). 

            Ichiraku was a Ramen stand I'd not visited before, never really having the interest in the noodles' flavors or texture. It wasn't a surprise that the people running it knew Naruto by name—given the number of crushed instant ramen cups we found around his apartment and the occasional deceleration of his love or want of the timely cooked food, or how he wanted to visit Iruka-sensei so the man could buy him ramen at this very stand.  
            

            I find a seat at a bench not too far away; I can only just make out what they are saying. Which is good, I don't want to be obvious, and the people around me milling about in their own lives help disguise my presence as well. At the moment the two are just ordering what they want, and making small talk. I watch some women who were probably out shopping talk to each other, whisper and sneer in hushed voices. I am looking at them, so I didn't notice who they were being so cruel to secretly, till one of the two—a tall woman with dark hair in a short braid with a plain brown and tan skirt, and dark blue tunic tucked into it tied off with a silver-plated chain belt—pointed, quite openly, across from me.   
  


            Naruto.   
  


            That rude woman is pointing at Naruto, which meant that they are talking about him. I can feel my indifferent mask waver in confusion as if my own feelings weren't sure where they were supposed to go, or what to change to. Annoyance? Anger? Cruel agreement? Rage? I'm not sure, so I shove it all aside, I will not reveal anything. My black eyes roam back to Naruto, who a moment ago was talking loudly to Kakashi and slurping his noodles hungrily, is now stiff and tense. Kakashi's body reveals no such feelings, no difference in how he's sitting—he's still very relaxed. Then again very few things seem to perturb our sensei, and I would have thought it a little cold his lack of physical reaction to such open cruelty. 

            But I cannot judge. What am I doing if not being cold myself? I feel my face screw up at that, by eyebrows furrow. Damn that Naruto! I shouldn't be worrying about whether or not I was being cold to him, and I shouldn't have followed him out here! Even my thoughts are getting heated, and I was just thinking I was being cold!

            I stand up at this point, while I was thinking, Kakashi had drawn Naruto into a discussion and two large ramen bowls were already stacked to the side. I could barely hear them above the people and the rush of thoughts echoing in my ears. Inwardly I cursed myself, 'This is stupid. I came here to learn whatever Naruto would say, and I cannot even hear him. Damn it.' 

            _++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++_

            **No POV**

            Sakura had started to wander after lunch, as she didn't want to directly go back to Naruto's house. In her hands she held a small cardboard cut out. She had found it by where Sasuke had been cleaning, and when he stood up to leave for lunch; it had fallen out of one of the pockets of his white shorts. It was that fox cut out Kakashi named as one of the things Naruto was supposed to find. Yet… Sasuke still had it… it bothered her and she didn't know why. 

            'I bet he doesn't even know he lost it…' Sakura thought, trying to bring some logical reason as to why Sasuke would have kept such a useless piece of material. Her feet were slowly brining her towards Naruto's apartment complex, as she knew that the mission wasn't over, even if she wanted it to be. 

            "Hey!"

            "Come here!"  
            

            "…and…. that way!" 

            "Her apartment… going down!"

            Sakura stopped her almost aimless walking and looked up from her directed gaze. 

            'What's going on?' 

            People were suddenly rushing about her, yelling and generally panicking. Helpfully, no one decided to stop and tell the young shinobi girl what was going on, so it was by luck that she looked right, and straight up. Apparently she had reached Naruto's building. Blue eyes opened far wide with panic, and in her confused panicked state she wasted a whole five minutes staring. 

            "Oh God…." 'I have to find Naruto!' 

_++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++_

            There was a loud ruckus being created not far from where Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke were. People were yelling loudly and running this way and that, it was all very hectic and any answer asked for was incoherent and mixed up. Panic and tension hummed through the air, and words were being thrown right and left to everyone. Shops were closing and the owners running out of them and in a familiar direction. Amongst the panic of the populace, a single recognizable shape and voice reached the three confused shinobi.

            "Kakashi-sensei!!!" Sakura screeched as she came into view of them. "Taihen desu*! Taihen desu Kakashi-sensei!" she dodged a random man calling for his wife or maybe his daughter and stood in front of him.  
            

            "What's going on, Sakura?" he asked, calm, but tense. Sasuke made his way across the small dirt street to stop next to his teacher. Naruto looked at him surprised for a second, before focusing on Sakura.

            "Sakura-chan! What is it?!"      

            "N-Naruto- it's your apartment! Come quick! Hayaku!!" with those words of no description she turned on her toes and sprinted back the way she came, confident that they were following her faithfully. Back where he stood Naruto blanched. His apartment? What more could happen to it?! Without another thought the mentally anguished blond ran after the quickly disappearing girl. 

____________________+++++++++++++++++++++++++_______________________  
  
  
            ...He couldn't believe it. He couldn't. It just _wasn't possible! _

Thick, choking black smoke rose threateningly out of the far right side of the building. It looked as if the room inside had exploded, and the smoke had been freed. Naruto stood still, staring up at the building his home had been in. His skin was the whitest it had ever been, as if bathed by a sudden moonlight. The whisker marks on his face seemed all the darker. 

            "No…!" he ignored the chain of men and women passing buckets up and down a line leading to a large reservoir. He ignored the strangled gasps of Sasuke and Kakashi as they too witnessed what Naruto now saw.

            Fire.

_______________________________++++++++++_____________________________

            DONE! Good God! I never thought I'd finish it! I'm so sorry about the lateness!           

            … My beta had problems. It happens. Life is full of shit and I'm in a bad mood. Whatever.

  
            Please review. I'm already working on the next chapter, but ya never know how fast a snail can go when kicked…


	5. tadaima

                                                Are You Red and Gold, Sapphire?

            Chapter five~

            Chapter warnings: Naruto angsts, Naruto does the OOC dance… Sasuke punches Naruto, and comforts him

Note: This chapter is six pages long. The review replies don't interfere with that fact. *Sniffs* It got sad. I like this chapter;--;.

Current music: Aozu: "Freedom" (by Ryouma, Fuji, Tezuka and Oishi from Prince of Tennis), and "Orestes" by Perfect circle.

Replies: 

Lady Geuna:   yes, all gone~ I don't know~ I'll try to let Iruka-chan off easy~*huggles him* 

You''ll have to read and see~

BTW, do you know why he's refered to as a dolphin?

MeGs-YAFP: Yu said lots~ *glomps you* thank you~ I'm sorry about the few mistakes^^;; hopefully this one will have less~ I'm very habby u liked that chapter! Please like this one too!^o^

p-sama7: *is kicked and goes FLYING!* I wrote more I did! See! *points below* *is still flying~*

CrazyAce & Co.: Hmm~ I'll pass the idea onto Naruto~_^

Elie: I know, so sad;-;

Chels-Dawg: I updated yay! Hmm~ u'll have to see~ either way, Naruto hurts~

dark vampire: *glomps back!* hehehee~! *^o^* *blushies* hehe! U welcome! I hope this one doesn't dissapoint you! *hands you chapter & plushie* ur reviews make me habby~hehehe:3

oruchuban Ebichu: *bear hug back* weee! Heeh, this one no have cliffie I think~ yes yes! Write one! I 3 ur fics~ MINNA-SAN, go read her Fruits Basket fics, they ROCK!

Japime gurl: end? Angst can end? Not for a loooooong time~

DarkPheonix365: EEK, I hate fire too~ thankfully I never encountered it~ I hope everyone was ok where u are~ O__O 3 ur silly! Hehehe! Please review this one too!

Sara1664: I know… ee, sankyu~~

ONTO THE CHAPPIE!3

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_

            Large crowds had gathered and were talking in loud gasping voices to each other. Shoving and pushing, a tall man noticed Naruto standing like a statue in the road, just staring up at where his home was burning with a possessive licking fire. Indecision was warring inside him. He wanted nothing more that to push past all these uselessly gawking people and go to his room, his destroyed broken room and save _it_. But his feet were like lead and the most he could do was fall helplessly onto his knees. 

             'My…my home…! No!' drawing strength from his rampant emotions, the blond boy surged to his feet, ready to run, only to feel a strong grip latch onto his shirt collar and yank him back, throwing him to the ground with a loud "ooff!". 

            "Nani o—Agh!" Naruto glared up through his misty eyes at the dark face above him—the man had HIT him! 

            "You…._ monster…" the guy growled, cracking his knuckles._

            "Look at what you did to our homes! I have a sister that lives in an apartment in that building!" his voice reached roaring levels and several people stopped to join in on the little mob. It shocked and hurt Naruto that everyone would so thoughtlessly accuse him of destroying his home and consequently others' homes. 

            Shaking off his shock in his typical Naruto way, the boy jumped to his feet and glared up at the rude man.

            "Teme! I live there too! I wouldn't destroy my own home! Besides I was with—"  
            

            "—me all day." Naruto turned his head as the focus was directed onto Kakashi. Inwardly he sighed a little, glad to have reinforcements. 

            There came a low gurgling growl in the throat of the man who was threatening Naruto, as if he no longer knew what to say, and needed to stall. Kakashi moved closer and between the two figures. 

            "I'm sure we can settle problems later, when we have all finished putting out the fire. I'm sure you can find some belongings that didn't get destroyed after everything has settled."  
            

            The man snorted, "There better be something left! I have some very _precious belongings in there!" with that said the man *finally* left, stalking through the crowd to grab a bucket. Some rude glares were thrown at Naruto and even a couple at Kakashi before a small crowd of watching bystanders left to contribute to the effort—or leave. His smile was wan, stretched and obviously fake but still Kakashi offered it to Naruto in hopes of someway making things a little better, even though he knew it did nothing; Naruto didn't even look at him. _

            He was staring with a fixed mesmerization at the crawling, puffing black smoke and fire licking the air and covering the sky. A sudden wave of energy shot past the boy and his sensei, pushing them a few feet back. There were screams in the background and the two shinobis covered their heads from the rain of falling glass. Looking up quickly when it passed, their eyes were met with a bonfire building out of the ground of someone's ruined apartment. 

            "Was it a bomb!?" someone cried—a lady as she ran past them. 

            "Don't get too close!"- A man warning a child.

            "It's HOT!" –A nameless face running away.

            "MOMMY!" A child frozen in fear. 

            Tuning out these voices, Naruto moved quickly aside as the people who had been inside pouring water ran swiftly past, some were holding or supporting injured people with sickly bubbling burns of brown and black. 

            All that were left were the jounins and chuunins with water skills leaping onto the building and immediately dousing it with as much water as their chakra allowed. 

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_

            **Saskue's POV**

            I pushed through the crowd, blocking myself from random peoples' frenzied movements or from being stepped on. I felt plagued at this moment with thoughts and demands and a pain I cannot describe. I'm looking for someone, for anyone, for Naruto.

            'After all, it is his home that's on fire and _exploding_. I need to find him—hopefully Kakashi has found him already, who knows what the dumbass will do.'—Eyes scanning the crowd with an intently focused, unnatural speed, were tiring, as was his patience.— 

            'I'm going to scream soon, why are things like this? We should be going on missions and finding that stupid cat, ranting about stupid things and, and eating ramen…' I pause for a moment, letting my body rest for these few seconds as I analyze this statement. 

            'I… I don't like ramen. And I've never wanted to eat it. "We"? No, _him.' I shake my head, it's all that dobe, the missions include all of us, but Naruto is the one who usually is in charge of catching the cat, though I've done it before, and neither Sakura, Kakashi, nor I rant about stupid things, only Naruto. I sigh, now is NOT the time to be psychoanalyzing everything I think! I'm looking for someone… Someone…_

            I start running again, scanning the crowds moving closer and closer to the edge—closer and closer to the apartment flats. I would call out, see if he can hear me over the inane screeches of the people and the loud cracking and clicking of the fire, but I won't. 

            Leaning a bit to the side to keep a curved balance towards the middle of the crowd, the energy that passes knocks me off my feet. I wince as I make contact with the hard ground and look up just in time to see the rain of glass. So close! I cover my neck and head and curl up. The noise is even louder now.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_

            **No POV**

            The energy had passed, as had the rain of shards. Ocean blue eyes scanned the bonfire for a way in, a way out. The walls were collapsing and there were several small "boom"s from many other windows sending their shards in melting grace to the ground. 

            Kakashi moved closer to Naruto, wary of his tensed posture, like a cat ready to spring…

            When it looked like the boy was going to take off, his teacher's quick eyes noted this and shot his hand out and clamped in on the boy's shoulder holding him back. Naruto flailed for a moment before turning to glare at his teacher. For his part, Kakashi looked sullen, like he didn't want to be doing what he was and yet he had to. 

            Oceanic eyes searched dark ones, the smaller's mouth was slightly open and he felt like he was going to burst from tension. 

            "Na—"

            "Kakashi! Naruto!" Cut him off, Naruto turned his gaze swiftly to the new person, and when Kakashi's grip lessened upon his focus change and his confidence, he lost it. Tense from stress and anguish, burning with tears and hatred, Naruto broke the grip completely and made a quick sprint away from them… towards his home. 

            Kakashi and Sasuke cursed and started after him, but they had lost him amongst the gaping crowd and knew that the speed at which Naruto was going would not be matched.

            'Such speed, where is he getting the power to do that? I know when your adrenaline is high it heightens your abilities, but he practically _disappeared!" Sasuke thought in a mix of wonder and his own anxious restlessness. _

            "Damn it." Black eyes met Kakashi's narrowed ones and with a silent agreement passing between them they split up. 

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_

            **Naruto's POV**

            I couldn't see—it was blinding me. The dark thick smoke of ashes and memories floating away to be gone forever filled my lungs and hurt me in a way I don't understand or want to believe. 

            I had passed the crowd too quickly for most of them to register me. A few of the ninjas working with the put out effort had called me and tried to stop me, but I can't remember. All I know is I'm in here now, and that's what matters. The way to my apartment—home—is a path I've taken more times than countable and I can get there easily in the dark. I'm still running, I have cuts, splinters and burns all over my feet and legs from glass, boiling metal, spikes of wood that was cruelly broken apart and holes in the ground that I had to pull my foot or leg out of as the fires grabbed for it. 

            But I can't feel any of it, it's too far away from me. 

            'There should be a stairway right here!' I cry in my mind, blindly feeling out for it. I sigh a little—_bad idea_—as it is still there. I cough, the floating glass and ashes invading my lungs to tear at them and rob me of my strength. I won't let them! That red chakra I feel now and then is pushing it out, is filling me with renewed energy and my wounds heal even as I receive more. I race up the stairs, I have nothing to lose, nothing at all! I want to be home, I want this to be a dream, I want this to all go away! 

            My face hurts. I must be crying. There's steam in my eyes. My tears are burning? I don't know, I cannot see anything. I can't feel anything but the searing pain scarring my face and then dissolving even as it comes again. I cannot hear anything but my footsteps and the pounding of my heart. I can't see anything but the black abyss where my goal is all there is. 

            Upon reflex and years of repeated action, I turn left. There was no door when I left, there is no door now. My vision is clearing, but I think I've gone color blind, for my world is a meaningless gray and black. Charred. Dead. Gone. I know there was a reason I needed so desperately to get in there. I know there was!

            The wind blows the smoke away from my face and I breathe it in. The roof is gone… that must be ten apartments at least that were stripped away and destroyed. Idly I wonder where the material that made them up went. The pipes are still there but they're dripping liquid like lava and the ground it touches sparks and melts. I look up from the ground, to the ashes of my sanctuary, my home. 

            "Tadaima."

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

            Hours have passed, for it is dark outside, there is only the light of the full moon hanging over my head, illuminating the grays and blacks as whites and dark blues. I hurt, and I can't focus on anything. I have no strength to do anything but sit here, knees bent under me with burns scarring them ugly colors. In my arms I'm holding something I can't recognize anymore. I think it was once my sleeping cap, or a plushie I bought long ago. I don't know why it is so important, the reason won't come… I think there's something inside of it… something cold but smooth, something that….

            But thinking hurts, and I wont move my burned arms from their motherly cradling hold on the dead memory I embrace. I am looking at it, but I don't see it. I have no chakra left, that red presence, the Kyuubi's strength is not with me, I cannot heal. I cannot move. It hurts too much. 

            But it is a detached hurt, I am not sad. I can't be. I'm home. 

            Amidst the unnamable objects and things I used to own, I am home. 

            Surrounded by the shards of my being and all the hard work I've done my whole life, I'm home. 

            With the dying memories and the clearing smoke, I am home. 

            So, why shouldn't I be happy? I'm home. 

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_

                        **Sasuke's POV**

            I could see him, as I stepped into the hollow world behind a doorless frame, sitting there amongst the shadows left behind, knees bent under him, his clothes in ratty disarray flaking apart. He was bathed in the comforting light of the full moon, and he looked so beautiful…

            I shake my head, but do not question my psyche. There is no denying it. His blond hair shone like white gold and he looked smaller than he's ever looked before. I could see the burns clawing in spikes up his back and legs, but I cant see his eyes, and I want to, oh I do. But as much as that was true, I couldn't move—disturbing him seemed like a crime, like pulling an angel out of its prayer. 

            Unconsciously my hand reached into my pocket, long fingers feeling for the small shape I had had in there since the night before. Perhaps, I have been sensitized by these sudden tragedies, or maybe I grew sentimental over a few hours of watching, but when my fingers can not find the comforting rough and smooth surface my heart hurts. I want to have it back, but I cannot leave this place, not yet. 

            I take another step inward and something crunches beneath me, the sound echoes but I don't care to see what it was I stepped on. I know Naruto heard it, and he turns his head slightly so I can see those half closed eyes darkened by shadows under his illuminated hair. 

            His mouth opens slightly, but I can't hear him. Lips move again, and again, and I still can't hear more than the faint whisper of his breath. 

            _"Sasuke." _

            I don't know what compels me, but I am instantly at his side—in front of him. Slowly, as if one dying, he turns back to face me. My eyes widen. He looks so dead, so emotionless and hurt all at the same time. Suddenly I am angry. I'm hurt too that he would risk everything to come back, that he would worry Kakashi and myself so much. Laying my hands on his shoulders I let out all the burning inside of me.

            "Baka yarou!" I yell in his face. My voice echoes around the room, coming back to us and he winces, looking up at me more with a face paled by the moon and untold pain. 

            I shake him a few times, and his eyes never waver as his body moves like a doll's, back and forth. 

            "Snap out of it, baka! What the hell were you thinking!? You had everyone worried! Selfish jackass!" 

            He looks down, and lifts his arms slowly, wincing, as if he wants to offer me something. I don't even look. 

            "And dammit, you're not even listening! Wake the hell up!" 

            And then he is on the ground, lying on his side, still cradling whatever was in his arms close to him. Slowly he sits up again, his movements jerky. 

            He looks at me again, with those eyes, those eyes so dead to the world… He raises his arms a little higher, and with a few free fingers I see him open a flap inside the unnamable thing. I close my eyes, and take a deep breath, when I am in front of him again, I kneel down, and pull him to me. 

_            "Naruto…" _

            Falling to the ground, two piano keys clink together for a beautiful moment of music. 

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

Chapter end….

            Please review…..


	6. melodious walking away

                                    Are You Red and Gold, Sapphire?

            Ok, I'm sorry I made everyone wait so long, I really really am. I've been having problems with my wrists, nerve damage and all..bah. I've been barely able to draw/write, and my computer use was limited to almost nothing. 

            But, since my wrists are …relatively un-pained today, I'm gonna finish the fic.

            THAT'S RIGHT. This is the last chapter! Also, this will probably be my only Naruto fic, and I'm eager to finish it. 

*Bows to everyone* you are all such wonderful people. I love you all.*glomps everyone*

Replies: 

**Kazle**: Thank you for your compliment, I hope I do not dissapoint you with this chapter.

**Skye Dragon**: Ahh… but I did stop there didn't I? oh and I made you wait so long for this chapter too… I'm so bad^^;;****

**Chels-Dawg**: I apologize-no, they're not doing anything. I didn't mean to give that impression if I did~

**Riyue**: Ah-thank you~ You're too kind^^~

**dark**** vampire** : heeheee~^^*hugs back* *glomps back~* thank you^^

**Foxgrl**: No, Naruto ain't dead^^. And yes, he went back for the piano keys~ 

**CrazyAce & Co**.: aah! I feel proud now~ thank you much~ 

**Ramen** (biams88@yahoo.com): thank you. I'm sorry for the wait~

**Hitomi No Ryu :** *sighs in relief* it would've made me sad if it was the fic… yeah, poor Naru-chan ne? I guess you hurt the oens you love~

**Psycho Rooster/Beta 4 Hire**: heheh, true^^. I'm glad you enjoy this fic^^

**Bishiehuggler**: wow…my work has never been called poetic before…Ah..about the deaths..well..you'll see~ and yes, there is bloodyness~3

**Meruru**: heheh! You're intresting I hope you don't mind me saying. I like ramblers actually~ and it's vandalized^^. Okaeri nasai was spelled right yes^^. And, wow… you said a lot and every word made me very happy~ I hope this chapter doesn't dissapoint you~ Ah! And, it's good I depressed you? I hope I don't fail in that in this chapter either3. I love angst~

**ninetails2**: I'm sorry, I tend to use yaoi as a generic for yaoi or shonen-ai, as while I write I'm nto sure if it'll change or not. It's shounen ai, I'll be more careful I promise. 

**DarkPheonix365**: I'm sorry to hear that. But I'm glad none of your friends/family got hurt. Miracles I guess… O.O;;; wow… you're both very strange^^;; Please enjoy this chapter^^~

**Inuyasha's Kitty**: hehe^^

NOTES: YAAAAAAAAAY! SO COOL! Lady Geuna and Silver Foxglove have me on their author alert watch! And I have 14 people listing me as a favorite author! I feel so luckyT^T~ And of course there Kami-chan~

Enjoy~…and don't kill me ok?^-^;;;

Length: 10 pages

Chapter Six: Melodious Walking Away 

            No one had been allowed in. No one had borne witness to the two boys sitting together in the fading gloom of the eternal night. 

But like all precious things, this moment had to shatter. With the sun breaking through the cracks and holes with its light, the two were roused from their sleep.

            Blue eyes like the ocean blinked open slowly, mere seconds after granite met the sky. Wincing in pain, Naruto rubbed his head against Sasuke's shoulder, over all wishing he could go back to sleep. A long fingered hand came and gently laid against the smaller boy's back, holding him still. Naruto stiffened. 

            "S-Sasuke?" 

            "Yeah." 

Naruto didn't make any responses after that acknowledgement. What could he do, at that moment? His body hurt in ways it hadn't hurt before. Though, it seemed to be healing already. In his mind he understood why, but it wasn't important. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "Naruto!! Sasauke!!" The loud yell was followed by crashes and the clanking of metal on metal. Looking up from where they were dozing again, still in an almost unconscious embrace, the two genin saw a panicked looking Iruka, followed by Sakura and Kakashi, who themselves looked very distressed. Upon seeing them, Iruka let out a dramatic sigh of relief, clutching his heart and bending over slightly. The tension eased a bit. 

            "You had us all scared to DEATH!" the irate teacher cried, suddenly changing his moods. Glaring as his two former students, Iruka stalked up to them and eyed them both. No one seemed to be  taking much in their close proximity. No one seemed to really care that the two boys were holding each other so intimately. 

            No one except Sakura, who stood behind Kakashi, not venturing forward even when she was bade to. Her face was shocked and saddened at the same time, reflecting darkness on this happy relief. 

            She watched them all smile to each other, laughing and trying to ignore the tragedies for now. She saw _something _there, that hadn't been before--no, it was there, it just wasn't confirmed. But it was now. There was nothing less then sure in how even the reserved, anti-social Sasuke had not released Naruto from his hold, had not pushed him away from where he was practically in his lap. And neither had Naruto. 

The two teachers seemed to take it in stride--no, they looked happier, because of it. 

'This must be the feeling,' she realized, 'when you discover that you have no chance, when you see how happy the one you love is without you.' Slowly, she smiled, despite her new pain upon rejection. 'But that's just how it is. Sasuke-kun looks… content. I never thought I would see him so relaxed, especially around Naruto. That baka! Making us worry like that!' 

"Naruto~!" she growled loudly. Startled, they all turned to her. Sasuke gave her a 'What~? Sorry, I wasn't listening' look. Naruto looked almost frightened. Walking over to them, she stood straight, pulled back her hand, and whapped the blond over the head. 

"BAKA! You had everyone so worried! Did you even think before you did such reckless thing?" she demanded. Little sighs of relief were tension busters and Naruto smiled goofily, rubbing the back of his head before saying,   
            "Thinking hurts my head--so I don't do it often." Needless to say, Naruto effectively made people laugh, which isn't that bad at all. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Soon the laughter died down, and the serious subject of where Naruto would be staying arose. 

            "I think he should stay with me--he's like family, and you talk care of family." Iruka offered, from where he had taken a seat on the charcoal floor. 

            Kakashi shook his head. "That wont work. You're always out at school teaching all day. Plus, we don't know how strong these people are, or how many of them there are. If they have access to bombs, we have to assume pretty strong. You're only a chuunin, Iruka, as well as you mean, I don't think you could sufficiently watch Naruto when you're not there." Iruka sighed, seeing the logic in that. 

            "Well, he can't stay with me," Sakura said, looking at her hands in her lap. "my parents don't like Naruto for some reason, and if I brought him home…." No one made any real reply to this. Naruto just looked away, and Sasuke looked at him, confused. 

            "Well, he can't stay with me…" Kakashi began softly, rubbing his chin. I don't have a very… young--orientated apartment." Blank stares all reached him.

            "So he'll stay with me then." Sasuke said, concluding the subject. 

            'How is he any safer with Sasuke than with me?' Iruka whispered to Kakashi. The jounin smiled. 

            "Because we all know how Sasuke is with his precious things." He said back, just a little louder. 

            "Oh!" Sakura exclaimed, remembering something triggered by that statement. Shuffling into her pocket under the gaze of those around her, her fingers curled around something hard, and pulled it out. 

            "Sasuke-kun dropped this." She explained, holding it out. 

            Naruto picked it out of her hands. "It's the fox-cut out that I was trying to find." 

            Kakashi nodded, "So that's where it went." 

            "Yeah. You kept it?" the blue eyes boy asked, turning to Sasuke. The other boy didn't answer, but his face did grow a little red. 

            "You kept something too, dobe." Naruto nodded, and smiled softly. 

            "The piano keys. They reminded me of you." He blushed. Iruka was squeezing Kakashi's arm in a half-delighted, half-excited manner. His face was split by a large smile. 

            "Well, in any case, I think we should get out of here, before the place collapses." There were nods, and Naruto was aided in standing, and in leaving. The burns hurt his body but he didn't pay attention to them, only to Sasuke's white hand clasped around his own. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            For weeks, there was no activity. If the assailants had thought that Naruto was dead--all the better. But eventually they would find out that he was indeed, still in Konoha. Team seven was on constant alert, and the Hokage had been alerted. There was a watch up for the arsonists, but no one was caught. 

            It was hoped that that would be the last tragedy, that they could live peacefully from then on. 

            It was on the Wednesday Sasuke asked Naruto out on their first official date that it happened. 

Naruto was glowing with joy and he bounced around like he used to, holding Sasuke's hand, playfully fighting with him, and conning the other boy to buy him Ramen. They headed back to Sasuke's large home for the night, walking amongst the fireflies and night lamps glowing brightly along the tree-lined path. Taking out his key, Naruto stopped Sasuke. 

"What?" Naruto blushed, but gave him a challenging look. 

"Aren't you supposed to kiss me goodnight?" Sasuke smirked at his smaller boyfriend. 

            "That would be the tradition." Naruto pouted. 

            "So so? You gonna kiss me or not?" 

"Baka." More pouting. Smirking still, Sasuke leaned down closer to Naruto, who looked surprised and blushed--as if he hadn't actually expected Sasuke to do it. Pale lips brushed against the ones below them, connecting the two boys together. It was magic, it was perfect. Their lips fit like two missing links, so soft and warm to each other. Sasuke cupped Naruto's face in his hands, rubbing his thumb over the shorter boy's whisker marks. 

The streetlamps glowed above them, the stars looked down in grace, and the moon shined extra bight--just for them.

Perfect. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            The sun was bright the next day. And the heat was sticky and thick. Naruto woke up from where he lay next to Sasuke on the futons on the floor. The black haired boy was looking at the ceiling, eyes narrowed but relaxed. It appeared he'd only woken up moments before Naruto himself did. 

            "Mmmm… Sasuke…" The quiet shinobi looked over at Naruto. 

            "Hm?" 

            "It's morning~" he stretched happily, sighing. 

            "Aa." 

            "I need to brush my teeth~" Bouncing up--insanely energetic for just waking up--he went right into the bathroom and shut the door. He came out a moment later with a toothbrush in his mouth, and a mug of water in hand. 

            "Safuke, Imf gongna go tuf the store svoon." He said around the brush, before pulling it out. 

            "Say that again--I don't speak idiot." 

            Naruto stuck his tongue out. "I said I'm gonna go to the store soon." And swished some water in his mouth before disappearing into the bathroom again. 

            "Riiiight." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Naruto looked at his list again. 'Man, why does Sasuke need all this stuff? I could buy twenty packs of ramen and still spend less.' He stuffed it back in his pocket and pulled out some money. 

            He looked at the salesman behind the counter. "How can I convince you to sell that melon for a dollar* less?" He grinned. hoping his widest smile would help.

            "How about you leave?" came the gruff reply. Naruto glared. 

            "Teme! That's not how you treat customers!" 

            "Only you, brat!"

            "Say that again!?" By now it shouldn't have been surprising. Naruto was an unfavored guest to almost all the shops in the village. The only place that really respected him was the ramen stand. And that was probably because on him alone, they could have enough funds to run forever. 

            In the end, he ended paying twice as much as the original offer.   
            

            "Lousy no-good corrupt salesperson…" The blond muttered darkly. He fished the list out again and peered at it. 'Hmm, that's about it. Only a couple things left. Ah, I can get them over there…' 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Only an hour or two had passed.  Arms loaded with paper bags, Naruto began the slow trek back to his temporary home. He knew Sasuke was probably going to be upset that he ended up spending more than the budget because people didn't like him, but what could he do? Sasuke was rich, and got funds from the village. It's not like he could go poor any time soon. Just as he took out the spare key upon reaching he door, it glided open on its own. Blinking, Naruto pushed the door further open and walked inside. He set the groceries on the floor and moved to the second level. 

"Tadaima! ……Sasuke?" he called, nervous. "Sasuke!?" he called a bit louder. There was a groan from one of the rooms, and some whispered voices. 

"SASUKE?" Naruto cried slamming the door to the room open hard. He stopped short. Blue eyes became black pupils, everything else lost amongst the white of shock. 

"…Kakashi-sensei? W-what are you doing here?" He walked quietly to Kakashi's side, where Sasuke was lying on a makeshift futon. Naruto closed his eyes tightly, shutting out the vision of Sasuke lying motionless on the floor, blood covering most of his chest and right arm, bruises marring his perfect white skin. 

"K... Kakashi-sensei? W-what happened?!" the fox boy whimpered, and backed up a step. 

"….You two were supposed to come to a meeting today. Neither of you showed up so I came to get you. It was only a minute or two ago. You weren't here…and Sasuke was already like this. I have to take him to the hospital now." The tall jounin slid his arms carefully under the boy's body and lifted him into the air. 

"Kakashi-sensei…he's alive-he is isn't he?!" Kakashi's dark eyes considered Naruto wide ocean blue ones filled with worry and fear. 

"He's alive, for now." With that, the teacher disappeared and left Naruto standing there by himself, tense and afraid. Thoughts rushed through his head, the seal on his stomach ached and it seemed as if the Kyubi was mocking him. Taunting him for not being able to protect his "mate". 

It would be at least an hour before Naruto moved into the bedroom, and picked up his duffel bag. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Naruto realized that day, that he was going to be hunted forever, down till the moment these people were caught, or he was killed. And the people around him were still going to be hurt. 

            Naruto stood at the gate of Konohakagure, the place he was raised, the home fell in love in, and the world where he wasn't welcome. He looked at his hands holding the striking black and white contrast of the piano keys, and the small fox-shaped cut out.

            He clenched his fists at his side, tears burned his eyes and his whole body ached with tension. On his way out, he had heard that the Harunos house was vandalized, and the daughter had been taken away by a friend for protection. 

            On his way out, he had heard that Iruka-sensei's class had been disrupted by a shadow throwing shurikens into the room full of young children. Two of them died, and several others were injured, along with their teacher. 

            And it was the last straw. It was all he could take to know that everyone was hurting because of him, and that no one could stop it. 

            Turing away from his home, Naruto stepped out of Konohas borders, not looking back.

                                @~^~~

            The four men who had been comminting these crimes were caught and put to death, but Naruto would never know. 

            And he never knew whether Sasuke, his rival, and his love, had lived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OWARI

Please review. Forgive me for my evilness~


End file.
